More Than Belief: A Materialist Theory of Religion
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.12 (797 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0195188543 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 392 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-08-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
It is well suited for the graduate school classroom and should prove an invaluable resource for sociologists of religion." --Sociology of Religion"More than Belief should find a wide-ranging audience. It is well suited for the graduate school classroom and should prove an invaluable resource for sociologists of religion."--Sociology of Religion"Manuel Vasquez's provocative book is must reading for everyone who wants to understand contemporary theories of religion. Vasquez provides accessible and astute summaries of theoretical approaches, while articulating a rigorous theory of material religion and offering a coherent methodology for the academic study of its practice. It not only offers a new framework for 'rematerializing' the study of popular piety but also provides nothing less than a strategic reinterpretation of the history of Western theories about what religion is and how it functions." -Tho
This book challenges the traditional idea that religions can be understood primarily as texts to be interpreted, decoded, or translated. He sketches the outlines of this approach through a focus on body, practices, and space. In More Than Belief, Manuel A. In order to highlight the centrality of these dimensions of religious experience and performance, Vásquez recovers materialist currents within religious studies that have been consistently ignored or denigrated. Vásquez argues for a new way of studying religions, one that sees
Vásquez teaches in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida. His research currently focuses on the intersection between religion and globalization, particular on the dynamics of transnational religious networks and flows across the Americas.. He has published numerous articles, chapters, and books on religion in Latin America and among U.S
Engaging and informative I have a Ph.D. in the academic study of religion, so have read quite a bit of theories about religion, past and present. Vasquez's is nuanced, wide ranging, coherent, and provocative, and is worth the time to read.